SBI Investment Korea

What SBI Investment Korea does

SBI Investment Korea is a Seoul-based venture capital and private equity firm operating as the Korean asset management arm of Japan's SBI Holdings. Founded in 1986 as Korea Technology Investment Corporation (KTIC) under the Small Business Startup and Venture Support Law, it claims the title of Korea's first venture capital company and was the first Korean VC to list on KOSDAQ in 1989. Management control transferred to SBI Korea Holdings in March 2010, and the company was renamed SBI Investment Korea in March 2011. The firm manages approximately 70 venture capital and private equity funds and has invested in more than 880 companies, leading over 200 to IPO across sectors including IT, healthcare/biopharma, digital content, commerce, energy, and consumer.

The firm operates four specialized venture investment divisions (IT/digital content, ICT/healthcare, materials/parts/equipment/consumer, and bio/pharma) plus a dedicated PE Investment Division handling buyouts, mezzanine, and M&A. Product surface spans sector-specific fund vehicles — including SBI Healthcare Fund, SBI Innovation Growth Fund, SBI ASEAN Springboard Fund, SBI Digital Contents Global Expedition Fund, SBI Commerce Innovation Fund, SBI Energy Innovation PE Fund, and SBI-Growth Ladder KONEX Vitalization Fund — alongside portfolio management services providing governance, strategic advisory, and value-up support to investees. Distribution is institutional: fund capital is raised from Korean government agencies (National Pension Service, Korea Development Bank, Korea Venture Investment Corp.), Korean policy banks (KoFC, IBK, KDB), and international partners, with co-managed vehicles with Samsung, KB Financial, and IBK anchoring recent fundraising.

The business model is conventional VC/PE economics: management fees on committed capital across multiple fund vintages, supplemented by carried interest and direct investment income from a portfolio of 880+ companies. The firm leverages SBI Group's global network spanning 26 countries for cross-border deal sourcing, overseas expansion support for Korean portfolio companies, and LP introductions. Recent deal flow (2026) demonstrates active participation in AI semiconductors (XCENA, $135M Series B), medical devices (Sonire Therapeutics, $18M Series A), physical AI infrastructure (Mobiltech, pre-IPO), and digital marketing platforms (Boosters, KRW 37.4B). The firm is privately held under SBI Korea Holdings, with no current public ticker following the 2010 SBI Group takeover.

Name

SBI Investment Korea

Legal name

에스비아이인베스트먼트주식회사

Website

https://sbik.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

SBI Investment Korea is a Seoul-based venture capital and private equity firm managing 70+ funds and 880+ portfolio companies across IT, healthcare, content, and consumer sectors, operating as the Korean asset management arm of Japan's SBI Holdings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital and Private Equity Fund Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Venture capital management
• Private equity funds
• Growth equity investment
• IPO advisory services
• Fund portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SBI Investment Korea is a Korean venture capital and private equity firm that raises and manages a series of specialized VC and PE funds on behalf of institutional LPs (pension funds, government agencies, financial institutions, SWFs, corporations) and invests the capital into Korean and cross-border startups and growth-stage companies. The firm also provides portfolio management services, including governance support, strategic advisory, value-up programs, IPO preparation, and M&A advisory, to investee companies from initial growth stage through exit (IPO or M&A), leveraging the global network of parent SBI Holdings.

Product overview

SBI Investment Korea operates as a unified platform-plus-services investment management company, offering venture capital and private equity fund products alongside advisory services. The core offering consists of multiple specialized investment funds (Healthcare Fund, Innovation Growth Fund, ASEAN Springboard Fund, Digital Contents Fund, Commerce Innovation Fund, Energy Innovation PE Fund) that collectively invest across Bio/Healthcare, ICT, ICT Service, Manufacturing, Consumer, and Entertainment sectors. These fund products are supported by portfolio investment management services providing governance, strategic advisory, and value-up support to investee companies. The company leverages the SBI Group's global network spanning 26 countries to facilitate cross-border investments and overseas expansion for portfolio companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VC and PE Fund Management Services Investment management services offering venture capital and private equity fund formation, portfolio company management, and value-up support across all investment stages from early growth through M&A and IPO; intended for institutional LPs and investee companies.
• SBI Healthcare Fund No.1 Specialized healthcare and biotech venture investment fund focusing on companies in the Bio/Healthcare sector including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and digital health.
• SBI Innovation Venture Fund Growth-stage venture investment fund targeting innovative technology companies across ICT, manufacturing, and emerging technology sectors.
• SBI ASEAN Springboard Investment Fund Cross-border investment fund facilitating Korean venture companies' expansion into Southeast Asian markets.
• SBI Digital Contents Global Expedition Investment Fund Investment fund targeting digital content, entertainment, and media companies for global market expansion.
• SBI Commerce Innovation Fund Fund focused on e-commerce, consumer goods, and retail technology companies.
• SBI 2nd Private Equity Fund Private equity fund for buy-out, mezzanine, and growth investments in Korea.
• SBI Pan-Asia Private Equity Fund Pan-Asia private equity fund deployable across Asian markets using SBI Group resources, backed by Korean National Pension Service.
• SBI-STL Energy Innovation Private Equity Investment Company Private equity fund targeting clean energy, environmental technology, and sustainability-focused companies.
• Portfolio Investment Management Comprehensive portfolio company management services including governance support, strategic advisory, and shareholder value enhancement for investee companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ companies listed on stock market through investment support
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KB Investment: Major Korean VC/PE firm affiliated with KB Financial Group, with deep sector coverage in bio/ICT and a strong LP network. Competes head-to-head with SBI Investment Korea in flagship Korean VC fund mandates and co-investment syndicates.
• IMM Investment: One of Korea's largest private equity firms, operating PE and venture funds across multiple stages. Direct peer to SBI Investment Korea in growth/buyout deals and frequently co-invests (e.g., XCENA Series B).
• Korea Investment Partners: Korea's largest government-affiliated PE/VC firm, operating multiple flagship funds across growth and buyout stages. Direct competitor to SBI Investment Korea for Korean LP mandates, government-backed fund co-management, and large-cap venture deals.
• NH Investment & Securities: Korean securities-affiliated investment firm offering VC and PE fund products. Comparable to SBI Korea in serving institutional/government LPs and operating multiple specialized venture funds.
• Capstone Partners: Korean private equity firm operating buyout and growth funds. Comparable to SBI Investment Korea's PE Division in deal size, sector coverage, and LP relationships.
• Mirae Asset Capital: Korean financial group affiliate providing VC and PE fund management. Competes with SBI Investment Korea for Korean tech and growth-stage deals and was a co-investor in XCENA's Series B.
• HSG (formerly Hillhouse Ventures Korea) / Hana Ventures: Korea-focused VC arm of Hana Financial Group operating multiple growth and early-stage funds. Comparable LP profile and Korean venture mandate to SBI Investment Korea; co-invested in Boosters round.
• Stonebridge Ventures: Korean venture capital firm focused on early- to growth-stage tech investments. Comparable in size and stage focus to SBI Investment Korea's venture divisions and co-invested in Mobiltech's pre-IPO.

Emerging players

• Kakao Ventures: Corporate-affiliated Korean VC investing in early-stage startups. Overlaps with SBI Investment Korea's venture divisions on seed/Series A Korean tech deals, though typically smaller check sizes.

Regional players

• SoftBank Ventures Asia: Asia-focused venture arm of SoftBank Group with active Korea presence. Comparable in mandate (tech/AI venture investing) and as a Japan-headquartered peer with global reach similar to SBI Investment Korea's parent structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments122 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SBI Investment Korea